


How The Other Half Live

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, White Collar
Genre: Crossover, F/M, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 04:57:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5444132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>June and her friends welcome her cousin Kingsley and his new wife to New York.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How The Other Half Live

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Inell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inell/gifts).



> Written for inell who gave the prompt “paint, spice, and warmth”. Originally posted to Livejournal in 2010.

“Green?” Neal asked. “Are you sure?”

Elizabeth paused from opening the can and looked over at him. “Too much?”

Neal shrugged. “I guess it depends what look you're going for. Try mint.” He pointed at an unopened tin on the floor.

“Isn't mint the same as green?” Peter asked. He stood in the doorway with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and splashes of paint on his forehead. Elizabeth and Neal had already silently agreed not to mention it.

“No,” said Elizabeth, just about holding back a long-suffering sigh. “See.” She opened the can of mint paint and put it next to the tin of green. “Completely different.”

Peter looked first at his wife and then at Neal, wondering if this were all some elaborate prank. But they both looked serious. Worryingly so.

“Remind me again why I agreed to do this?”

“Because you’re a good man,” Elizabeth said. She walked over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek, rubbing at some of the paint there as she did so. “And a good husband.”

“Hmm,” he replied. He leaned slightly into her embrace and then looked over at Neal, eyes narrowed. “I see you're being a bad influence on my wife again.”

“Who? Me?” Neal said, the picture of feigned innocence. “I just happened to mention June's cousin and his new wife were renting out a place for the summer. Elizabeth came up with the idea of decorating it all on her own.”

Peter still didn't look totally convinced, but he knew there were some arguments with Neal it just wasn’t worth starting.

“Kitchen's done. Just in here and then we can go home and catch the rest of the...game...what?”

Elizabeth looked sheepish and bit her bottom lip. “Well, I...uh...”

“What have you done?” Peter put on his best stern expression and held his hands on his hips. He could see Neal struggling not to laugh from the corner of his eye, but chose to ignore him for the moment, in favour of glaring at his wife.

Elizabeth shrugged. “I sort of agreed that we'd take them both out for dinner. All of us,” she added in a rush, waving a hand in Neal's direction, “and June too. A sort of welcome to New York dinner. They've apparently never been to America before.” She made a pouty face and tilted her head. “Sorry?”

Peter sighed, then smiled and kissed Elizabeth. “I suppose I can suffer through it.”

Neal laughed. “You could certainly do with some British sophistication.”

Peter glared at Neal. “I am plenty sophisticated, aren't I?” He turned to Elizabeth who was doing a fine job of not laughing in his face, though it was obvious she wanted to. “Right. In that case you two can finish up here while I shower and get changed.”

Elizabeth started laughing as Peter exited the room and he shook his head fondly as Neal joined in.

* * * *

“This is amazing,” Hermione said. “I've seen pictures, but...” She was staring up at some of the skyscrapers, her eyes trying to take in everything at once. On the plane over (she'd insisted that they travel the Muggle way) Hermione and Kingsley had made a long list of all the sights they wanted to see like the Empire State Building and Central Park and the Guggenheim Museum and Hermione was practically vibrating with excitement. Kingsley was just as excited to see New York, but he kept it under better control than Hermione, softly holding her hand in his as they waited for June to pick them up.

“It's hard to imagine we're actually in New York,” Kingsley agreed. “I'm just so grateful June got in contact.”

“Me too,” Hermione replied. “It's nice to finally meet some of your family.”

Kingsley beamed down at her and then pulled her into a kiss. They were interrupted by a polite, and amused, cough.

“Kingsley and Hermione I presume?” June asked.

“Aunt June!” Kingsley said, beaming smile on his face. “So good to finally meet you in person.”

“You too,” June said, laughing as Kingsley lifted her up off her feet. Hermione then gave her a more sedate hug.

“Thank you so much for showing us around,” Hermione said. “We've never been to America before. I'm not quite sure what to expect.”

June smiled and patted Hermione's hand. “You have nothing to worry about. I have everything all arranged. But first I'll go take you to the house you’ll be staying in and then let you freshen up. I know how tiring long plane trips can be.”

* * * * * *

“Oh, June, this is wonderful!” Hermione said as she stepped into the house and looked around. The décor was so tastefully done that Hermione was almost speechless and even though she knew from June having told them on the way there that her friends had only just finished painting, there wasn't even a hint of paint smell. If Hermione didn't know better she'd swear that magic had been involved.

“I’m glad you like it, dear.” June gave her a peck on the cheek. “You two get freshened up and I'll put the kettle on. I presume you'd both like tea?”

“Oh, yes please,” Kingsley said. “That sounds fabulous.”

* * * * *

“Hermione, Kingsley, so lovely to meet you,” Elizabeth said, pulling Hermione into a quick hug. “Welcome to New York!”

Hermione gave a wide smile. “Thank you! And thank you for decorating the house for us, it looks fabulous.”

“Oh, it was nothing.” She turned and glared at Peter, knowing full well the expression that was on his face. He shrugged ruefully and turned to shake Kingsley's hand.

“It's good to finally meet you. June's been very excited about your trip.”

“As have we,” Kingsley said. Then he spotted Neal and his eye did that twitching thing that Hermione knew meant he'd just spotted something worthy of investigation.

“What?” Hermione whispered, weaving through the crowd of diners to follow Elizabeth and Peter to the table they'd reserved for them.

“He's an art thief,” Kingsley whispered, just as quietly. Hermione's eyes widened.

“But I thought Peter was in the FBI?”

“Hmm,” Kingsley said. But they all shook hands and introductions were again made without Kingsley letting on that he was pushing out his magic, just a little, trying to sense what exactly it was that didn't add up. But all he could really sense was the aromatic smells coming from the kitchen and the warmth their hosts all shared.

“So,” Hermione asked. “How do you all know each other?”

Peter glanced over at Neal, who in turn glanced over at June, who smiled innocently.

Elizabeth broke the strained silence. “Neal and Peter work together. And June is Neal's landlady.” She paused, and gave a somewhat rueful smile. “I'm of course, Peter's wife.”

Kingsley responded before Hermione could. “And what work is that, exactly?”

“Why do you ask?” Peter responded and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

“I'm a forger,” Neal said, before things got more heated. “Con man. Art thief. FBI consultant. The whole package.”

Peter shot him an incredulous look. _“Really?”_

Neal shrugged. “They're June's family. And I rather think Kingsley there recognised me, right?”

Kingsley looked uncomfortable for a moment, before deciding that perhaps, just this once, honesty was the best policy. “What do you know about cursed artefacts?” he asked and Hermione's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she started nodding enthusiastically, knowing exactly which tale he was about to tell.

“I'm guessing, not enough?” Neal asked, leaning forward.

“You really have no idea,” Kingsley said.

And then he began to open their eyes.


End file.
